Williams campaign reports

Published 10:10 am, Friday, October 16, 2009

Selecting Midlander Jose Cuevas as his statewide treasurer signifies, in part, how important Midland will be to the U.S. Senate race, said former secretary of state and Senate hopeful Roger Williams.

"You can't win the U.S. Senate race in this state and not have the support of our friends and voters out in the West Texas area," said Williams, who along with the other candidates filed his most recent campaign finance reports Thursday.

Williams said Cuevas has been instrumental to his success so far. He reported Thursday a total of more than $1.3 million has been raised to date and also reported another $900,000 in cash on hand -- the largest of any Republican in the race.

Still, the longest list of Midlanders offering support in Thursday's filings was Railroad Commissioner and Republican candidate Michael Williams who reported more than 40 donors from the Midland area.

Democratic candidate and Houston Mayor Bill White, who reported fundraising totals of more than $1 million for the last quarter and more than $4 million in total cash on hand, also listed donations from Midland as did Railroad Commissioner Elizabeth Ames Jones.

Roger Williams reported about six donations from Midland, including funds given from Clayton Williams Jr. and Clarence Scharbauer III.

Quarterly finance reports for candidates were due to the Federal Elections Commission Thursday and cover the period from July 1 through Sept. 30, according to the Federal Elections Commission Web site.

Roger Williams said if elected he will focus on decreasing taxes and government.

Midland-Odessa, he said, have the type of entrepreneurs that need to be encouraged not penalized as he said the proposed cap-and-trade legislation would do to many area oil businesses.

"I'll be fighting for the industry to empower them to do what they do," he said.

Along with the duties of treasurer, Cuevas said his role also will be to show his support for Williams statewide.

"Roger is a true businessman. He's more familiar signing the front of a paycheck than the back of a paycheck," Cuevas said. "We need individuals more interested in righting our countries ills and not going to Washington to be part of the problem."